single, alone, spontaneously, Germany

About this kanji

The kanji 「独」 primarily means "alone" or "single" and is often used in nouns. It conveys the idea of something being distinct or separate. For example, 孤独 (こどく) means "solitude" and reflects the feeling of being alone. Another common compound is 単独 (たんどく), which means "sole" or "single" and is often used to describe a lone decision or action. Additionally, 独身 (どくしん) refers to being "unmarried." A useful point to remember is that while «独» can suggest isolation, it can also reflect uniqueness, especially in contexts like 独自 (どくじ), meaning "original." This versatility makes it an interesting kanji in Japanese.

Example sentences

• 彼は独りで旅をした。

  He traveled alone.

Meanings across languages

English

single, alone, spontaneously, Germany

Tiếng Việt

độc lập, một mình, tự phát, Đức

日本語

独り, 一人, 自発的, ドイツ

한국어

단독, 혼자, 자발적으로, 독일

中文

单一, 独自, 自发地, 德国

id

sendiri

th

เดี่ยว

es

solo

fr

seul

de

einzigartig

pt

único

Common compounds

• 孤独こどくsolitude, loneliness, isolation
• 単独たんどくsole, single, solo
• 独裁どくさいdictatorship, despotism, autocracy
• 独自どくじoriginal, unique, distinctive
• 独身どくしんunmarried, single
• 独占どくせんmonopoly, monopolization, exclusivity
• 独特どくとくpeculiarity, uniqueness, characteristic
• 独立どくりつindependence, self-reliance, supporting oneself